


A Kiss Under the Mistletoe Doesn't Mean I Like You

by LaLionne (otayuriistheliteralbest)



Series: I Don't Love You We're Just Fake Dating [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Party, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Pidge is a little shit, Pining, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shatt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 13:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17225288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otayuriistheliteralbest/pseuds/LaLionne
Summary: Shiro checked himself over in the mirror for what felt like the thousandth time. Not a hair out of place, glaringly obnoxious ugly Christmas sweater depicting a giant reindeer, complete with a 3D Rudolph with a nose that blinked if you pressed the button. You know, normal stuff. He sighed and scrubbed at his face. He was just helping out a bro, nothing more. Shiro liked the Holts, so it wasn’t a great big stretch when Matt had asked him to go to their big Christmas party as his fake date.





	A Kiss Under the Mistletoe Doesn't Mean I Like You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Glimmerystarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glimmerystarlight/gifts).



> This is 100% a part 1 and I will be writing Part 2 when I have time. <3 A gift for the lovely Jazzy for our Secret Paladins exchange!

Shiro checked himself over in the mirror for what felt like the thousandth time. Not a hair out of place, glaringly obnoxious ugly Christmas sweater depicting a giant reindeer, complete with a 3D Rudolph with a nose that blinked if you pressed the button. You know, normal stuff. He sighed and scrubbed at his face. He was just helping out a bro, nothing more. Shiro  _ liked _ the Holts, so it wasn’t a great big stretch when Matt had asked him to go to their big Christmas party as his fake date.

“Mom’s been harping on at me about getting a girlfriend, boyfriend,  _ any _ one, and I’m getting so tired of it,” Matt had said, flopping down on the futon in their shared living space. He fiddled with the end of his ponytail, unwilling to look Shiro in the eyes for long. “ _ Please _ rescue me from the insanity, at least for the next month. We can just fake it through the holidays, and mom and dad live far enough away that we wouldn’t have to see them much.... we can just tell them we decided to be friends when it’s all over. What d’you say? Will you help a buddy out?”

And there was that hopeful look in Matt’s eyes that made Shiro just melt a little bit inside, that look that had made Shiro fall head over heels in love with Matt when they were freshmen in college.

“Fine,” Shiro finally acquiesced, rolling his eyes at his best friend. “But  _ only _ through the holidays. After New Years, we need to come up with a reason for us to break up amicably that they’ll believe.”

Matt nodded his head vigorously.

“Of course, of course! I’ll make myself out to be the bad guy.”

Shiro snorted and went back to editing Dr. Iverson’s research paper, placing his glasses firmly on the bridge of his nose to read the dense packet of papers.

It had been a couple of weeks since that conversation, and for the most part, things had been easy. The worst was when Matt asked him to take a photo to send to his parents, and Matt had turned his head at the last second to kiss Shiro’s cheek. The blush on Shiro’s face didn’t need to be faked, and he’d dreamt of Matt that night, and several nights afterward.

Shiro gave himself one final once-over in the mirror and steeled himself to go downstairs to join Matt. They had an hour to drive to get to the Holts’ family home, and they would be staying the night, much to Shiro’s chagrin.

Because Colleen Holt said they were grown adults and she didn’t care if they stayed in Matt’s room together. In his twin-sized bed.

Shiro sighed, ready for a very long, very sleep-deprived night.

\---

The front door swung open wide, emitting cheery lights and the noise of clinking glasses and chatter. Katie, Matt’s younger sister and a sophomore in college now, grinned at the sight of her brother and  _ pounced  _ on him. Matt was used to her antics and swung her around in a circle before settling her back on her feet in the doorway once more.

“Katie! You’re grown!” Matt said dramatically, smacking his hands against his face in mock-shock.

Katie rolled her eyes. “Har-dee-har, Matt. I’ve resigned myself to forever being four foot ten and three quarters for the rest of my life. You stole all of the tall genes from me.” She turned her attention to Shiro. “Hey there, Shiro, it’s good to see you again. And I gotta say...nice sweaters.”

She nodded her head approvingly at him, smirking at Shiro’s ugly Christmas sweater, which Matt had forced on him and depicted a gingerbread man with an icing six pack. Her nose wrinkled when she looked closer at Matt’s sweater. On first glance, it looked like an innocent scene of Santa putting presents under a Christmas tree….but then she looked closer and saw that Santa’s jacket was riding up and he was wearing a g-string thong.

“Ugh, really Matt? Whatever just come in. Everyone’s waiting.”

Shiro grinned. He’d known Katie for six years, from the first time Matt dragged him to his childhood home for a family holiday since Shiro’s parents passed away when he was in middle school. It never grew old seeing Katie. She was an engineering major, like Matt, and Shiro teased that she would surpass him one day. He was only half-joking, not that he would ever tell Matt that fact.

“Throw your backpacks in Matt’s room and join us,” Katie said, waving a hand at the staircase. “We’re playing Scattergories and we need more teams.”

Shiro and Matt did as they were told, tossing hastily-packed backpacks in Matt’s cramped room.

“You ready?” Matt whispered as they padded barefoot down the carpeted staircase. He reached out to grab Shiro’s hand, though it was impossible to tell what he was thinking to do that.

“As I’ll ever be,” Shiro replied. He squeezed Matt’s hand and tried to pretend it wasn’t just for show. It was a bittersweet thought.

They turned the corner into the living room to a chorus of cheers, making Shiro jerk to a stop, tugging on their still-linked hands to pull Matt close and murmur in his ear.

“You didn’t warn me there would be  _ this many _ people at the Christmas party this year.”

Matt looked a little ashamed and said, “You know most everyone already, and some of them wanted to meet you. They’re all long-time family friends. They’re practically family and,” he spoke up so that his voice would carry, “ _ very nosy. _ ”

The gathered adults laughed and Colleen Holt stood from the plush couch to pull Matt and then Shiro into big hugs.

“It’s so good to see you boys.” Colleen reached up to pat Shiro’s jaw. “And I must say, it doesn’t surprise me at all that you two are dating. Now come, sit down. We’re ready to start the next round.”

The only place left to sit was an armchair near the fireplace, and so at Matt’s direction, Shiro settled into the cushions and Matt sat on one of the arms, leaning into Shiro’s shoulder. Sam passed them a board and game card, and Shiro took up the pencil nub he was given, poised and ready to write the moment the letter die was rolled. He’d played Scattergories with the Holts many times before, it just felt different this time because he was posing as Matt’s boyfriend. It felt both homier and just plain wrong at the same time.

Playing games with Matt’s family was always entertaining, though, and he soon got wrapped up in the game. Sam and Colleen were sneaky little cheats, and banter would always break out if a word they’d used was applicable or even a word or name at all.

They switched cards and a W was rolled. Shiro glanced over the prompts on their card and grinned. He jotted something down and Matt, leaning against him, burst into laughter and fell off the arm of the chair to the floor. Shiro just told him to get up and they scrambled to beat the timer.

“Pencils down!” Colleen called out. They all went through the card, calling out their words and Shiro could feel Matt squirming beside him.

Colleen had barely said “villains” when Matt shouted out, “Wicked Witch of the West!”

Groans and cheers alike greeted them. Katie scowled at her brother over the rim of her hot chocolate mug.

The evening progressed, mulled wine and eggnog consumed and food munched on. Shiro relaxed, able to forget the pretense of being Matt’s “boyfriend.” Most of the people here were those he’d met before, and he was deep in conversation with Sam about how his Ph.D. research was going when Katie got his attention. She was ensconced in a giant blanket cocoon in the armchair he’d vacated, and she was holding out her empty up to him.

“Shiro, can you get me another hot cocoa?”

Her voice was just a little too sweet, but he couldn’t see anything malicious about the request. He excused himself to Sam and grabbed the cup from Katie.

Shiro was just about to pass Matt under the archway to the kitchen when Katie cried out behind him.

“Ooh look, mistletoe!”

Shiro’s head snapped up to look at the apex of the archway, and sure enough, there was a little sprig of mistletoe hanging there. Shiro could feel the heat creeping up his neck as the gathering all cheered and clinked their glasses with silverware, egging them on.

Matt gave Shiro a pleading, apologetic look.

“Shall we?” Matt whispered. He tugged Shiro close to him by the hip.

Shiro bit his lip, torn, but nodded his head. Matt cupped his cheek and leaned in, tilting his head just slightly. The first brush of Matt’s lips on his lit a fire in his stomach, the second had him crushing his mouth to Matt’s. Katie’s empty mug fell from his hand to the carpet in a cushioned  _ thump. _

Wolf whistles roused Shiro from the kiss, and he broke apart from Matt suddenly, holding him at arms’ length from him. They were both blushing furiously, and Shiro could see Katie out of the corner of his eye, grinning victoriously.

“I-I’m heading to bed,” Shiro said, dashing up the stairs without a word, leaving a flabbergasted Matt behind him.


End file.
